Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026
Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification
Published on: April 6, 2020
Multifactoral measures of fall risk in the visually impaired population: A pilot study
Victoria Graham1, Kierstyn Napier-Dovorany2
1California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, California, 91330, USA.
Objective:
To determine the feasibility of taking multiple measures of visual and physical function in adults with visual impairment. A second objective was to obtain preliminary data on risk for falls in this population.
Design:
Cohort feasibility study.
Setting:
University ambulatory patient care center and research center.
Participants:
Convenience sample of community-dwelling men and women over age 18 with visual impairment (n = 12). Thirteen subjects were enrolled in the study; one was subsequently excluded due to self-reported cognitive decline at time of testing. Subjects were grouped by prospective fall incidence.
Interventions:
Verbal education.
Main Outcome Measures:
Subjective measures of function; objective measures of visual and physical function.
Results:
Visually impaired adults can safely complete a battery of physical functions to predict fall risk. Recent onset of visual impairment was correlated with higher fall risk [-0.53 ± 0.22, p = 0.04].
Conclusions:
It is feasible for an interdisciplinary team to measure risk for falls in adults with a visual impairment. Further investigation is needed to identify predictors of falls in adults of all ages with visual impairment.
